Date:30/01/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/01/30/stories/2008013055481900.htm

Sport - Cricket

Parthiv bats well

Special Correspondent

RAJKOT: After hard work over three days had fetched West Zone three points for snatching the first innings lead, captain Parthiv Patel opted for honing his batting skills against Central bowlers in their Duleep Trophy opener on Tuesday.

The tie was called off before the mandatory overs commenced on the fourth and final day, the gain for Mohd Kaif’s side being one point from a drawn game.

Sumeet scalps five

Ajinkya Rahane, a promising batsman from the India junior ranks, extended his form with a top score of 89 in West’s second innings. Parthiv hit 11 fours in his 74, while Central’s Sumeet Mathur was rewarded (five for 63) for his toil on a wicket getting slower.

The absence of any competitive element reduced the value in Ramesh Powar and Sandeep Jobanputra unbeaten knocks.

Central used six bowlers, among whom nippy medium-pacer Sanjib Sanyal trapped Rahane for his sole success. Mathur’s victims included opener Sahil Kukreja, specialist batsmen Parthiv, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rakesh Solanki and the hard-hitting Rakesh Dhruv.

Yusuf Pathan’s early run out denied the Rajkot cricket fans a repeat of the first innings power-play by the all-rounder.

The scores:

West Zone— 1st innings: 411.

Central Zone — 1st innings: 384.

West Zone — 2nd innings: S. Kukreja c Kaif b Mathur 40, A. Rahane lbw Sanyal 89, Parthiv c Sanyal b Mathur 74, C. Pujara c J. Saxena b Mathur 11, R. Solanki c Rawat b Mathur 6, Y. Pathan (run out) 9, R. Powar (not out) 47, R. Dhruv lbw b Mathur 1, S. Jobanputra (not out) 40, Extras (b-5, lb-3, nb-8, w-2) 18, Total (for seven wkts. in 109 overs) 335.

Fall of wickets: 1-99, 2-97, 3-218, 4-231, 5-241, 6-242, 7-248.

Central bowling: Bangar 28-6-89-0, Sanyal 22-2-68-0, Kartik 26-7-62-0, Mathur 21-2-63-5, Saxena 10-0-40-0, Rawle 2-0-5-0.